<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12026650" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pete-buttigieg" source="Orion">Pete Buttigieg</keyword>'s 2020 campaign became synonymous with "High Hopes" by Panic! at the Disco.</li><li>That walk-up song could have been "<keyword id="14405760" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mr-brightside" source="Orion">Mr. Brightside</keyword>" by <keyword id="13053801" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-killers" source="Orion">The Killers</keyword>, according to <keyword id="12635625" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lis-smith" source="Orion">Lis Smith</keyword>.</li></ul><p>Were it not for a hard look at the lyrics from a campaign lawyer, the multi-platinum hit single "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers could have been the official song for Pete Buttigieg in the 2020 campaign, according to his former communications adviser.</p><p>Lis Smith, the political communications specialist who helped bring Buttigieg to national prominence before he became President Joe Biden's transportation secretary, revealed the decision in an interview with New York Magazine's <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/lis-smith-any-given-tuesday.html">Intelligencer</a>.</p><p>"I wanted this to be Pete's campaign anthem, but our campaign lawyer said it had Me Too undertones," Smith said in an interview for her forthcoming book, "Any Given Tuesday."</p><p>Instead, Buttigieg would walk on stage hundreds of times to "High Hopes" by Panic! at the Disco.</p><p>The <a href="https://genius.com/The-killers-mr-brightside-lyrics">lyrics of "Mr. Brightside"</a> depict a jealous lover going down a spiral of paranoia, fixated on infidelity.</p><blockquote><p>Now I'm falling asleep and she's calling a cab<br />While he's having a smoke and she's taking a drag<br />Now they're going to bed, and my stomach is sick<br />And it's all in my head,&#xa0;but she's touching his</p><p>Chest now, he takes off her<br />Dress now, let me go<br />And I just can't look, it's killing me</p><p>&#xa0;</p></blockquote><p>"Who would have thought betrayal would have sounded so good?" <keyword id="14405758" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="brandon-flowers" source="Orion">Brandon Flowers</keyword>, the lead singer and songwriter for The Killers, told <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/killers-brandon-flowers-talks-writing-mr-brightside-730129/">Rolling Stone</a> in 2018.</p><p>While the literal interpretation of the song is more about heartache and an obsession with an imagined cheating scenario — "It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss!" — Smith told Insider that she saw the song as a generational fit.</p><p>"It's simple — he represents the bright side of <keyword id="11893346" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="politics" source="Orion">politics</keyword>," Smith told Insider. "That and it's a peak millennial song and no one needs to hear more Bruce Springsteen at political rallies."</p>

Lis Smith says she wanted 'Mr. Brightside' to be the Pete Buttigieg campaign song, but a campaign lawyer said it had 'Me Too undertones'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Campaign songs are a staple of presidential elections.</li><li>Vice President Kamala Harris is using Beyoncé's "Freedom."</li></ul><p>The themes of the 2024 race are apparent before Vice President <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/voters-blame-biden-high-inflation-harris-trump-impact-economy-2024-8">Kamala Harris</a> and former President Donald Trump take the stage.</p><p>Drawing on the long history of campaign music, Harris, Trump, and their respective running mates have fine-tuned their playlists in the final sprint before Election Day.</p><p>Selecting a perfect campaign song isn't easy. It needs to amp up a crowd like a major leaguer getting ready to get to the plate. But unlike athletes, candidates have historically limited their choices. They don't pick songs that might be controversial. As a result, US presidents and those aspiring to be often stick to a mixture of dad rock and country music. For Democrats, it's a lot of Bruce Springsteen.</p><p>"Songs can play a role similar to yard signs; while a yard sign is a visual depiction of a campaign and its message, a song is a musical and lyrical way of depicting a campaign and its message," Eric Kasper, who cowrote <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=b571d1e11dc0b9af53a37aae580db07f07142b8f2316e1dda6ddb62890ab3493&amp;postID=66b4f8907d61a86c1860848f&amp;postSlug=harris-freedom-2024-campaign-songs-trump-vance-walz-2024-8&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FDont-Stop-Thinking-About-Music%2Fdp%2F073916547X">a book </a>about campaign songs, wrote to Business Insider. "A song might do this with the title or the lyrical hook. Music also has emotional appeal that is different from the spoken word."</p><p>"Campaigns use music for the same reason that product advertisers and movie makers use music: if done well, it can produce an emotional reaction," added Casper, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire.</p><p>Kasper said the tradition goes back to some of the nation's earliest campaigns. Some of the first examples included supporters pigeonholing lyrics about their favored candidates into popular tunes.</p><p>William Harrison's campaign's anthem, "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too," was sung to the tune of "Three Little Pigs" in 1840. FDR paved the way for popular music on the campaign trail in 1932 with the use of "Happy Days Are Here Again," but the practice didn't really catch on until more recently.</p><p>It was during President Ronald Reagan's reelection when Lee Greenwood's patriotic ballad "Good Bless the USA" made its campaign debut.</p><p>In 1992, then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton sold his message of the future with Fleetwood Mac's classic "Don't Stop." Hillary Clinton's campaign loved Rachel Platten's "Fight Song" so much that it enlisted scores of celebrities to record a video singing it for the 2016 Democratic National Convention.</p><p>And yes, Pete Buttigieg, a once virtually unknown mayor of South Bend, Indiana, relied on Panic! At The Disco's "High Hopes." (Top Buttigieg advisor Lis Smith later told Business Insider she wanted the song to be the karaoke classic "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pete-buttigieg-campaign-song-mr-brightside-high-hopes-lis-smith-2022-7">Mr. Brightside,</a>" but that plan did not pan out.)</p><p>Here's a look at how the 2024 candidates have and will send their message through music.</p><h2 id="652a199c-ee63-4161-aa5b-5d00d4315345"><strong>Vice President Kamala Harris</strong></h2><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7FWF9375hUA?si=vqKkzW2codqYkOUg" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><strong>Song: </strong>"Freedom" by Beyoncé</p><p><strong>Message: </strong>While Harris is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-memes-media-strategy-gen-z-unburdened-coconut-2024-7">embracing the neon green brat theme of Charli XCX</a> on social media, she has made a different female pop icon a cornerstone of her campaign: Beyoncé.</p><p>Harris used the artist's anthem "Freedom" in her first campaign video and often features the song at campaign rallies. The song is on Beyoncé's sixth album, <em>Lemonade</em>, which delves into questions of social injustice, and activists used "Freedom" as a rallying cry during protests following the killing of George Floyd.</p><p>The chorus serves as a testament to self-love and resilience: "I break chains all by myself / Won't let my freedom rot in hell / Hey! I'ma keep running / 'Cause a winner don't quit on themselves."</p><p>Should she win, Harris would "break chains" as the first woman and first Indian American to become president. By setting her campaign against the soundtrack of a Black woman, Harris is also highlighting her Black identity, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-nabj-convention-tense-kamala-harris-jd-vance-2024-7">which Trump recently questioned</a>.</p><h2 id="24767fda-1a99-4fc1-bc45-72e04bde2c04"><strong>Former President Donald Trump</strong></h2><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-KoXt9pZLGM?si=AQpRPfaNsU-lT7mU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><strong>Songs: </strong>"God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood and "Hold On, I'm Comin" by Sam &amp; Dave</p><p><strong>Message: </strong>Trump has made Greenwood's 1984 classic a centerpiece of his rallies. Since its release, the song has been a staple of American politics and 4th of July celebrations. President Reagan's reelection campaign used it. His then-Vice President George H.W. Bush used it at times.</p><p>A major hit upon its debut, "God Bless the USA" has returned to the top of the charts during the first Gulf War and after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.</p><p>Trump has recently taken to using the Sam &amp; Dave classic "Hold On, I'm Comin'" as his walk-off song. Booted out of office, Trump has emphatically run on the message that the nation was better off with him in charge. According to<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://americansongwriter.com/rb-classic-hold-on-im-comin-had-a-surprisingly-potty-mouthed-origin-story/"> American Songwriter, </a>some radio stations refused to play the song when it initially came out due to its potentially suggestive nature. Still, Sam Moore's soulful plea has been on the campaign trail before.</p><p>President Obama's 2008 campaign played the song until Moore went public with his frustration that they hadn't asked permission. Other Democrats used the ballad during the Trump era to underline their hope to oust Republicans from power.</p><h2 id="ab123144-82b9-41e2-ac8f-df9abd48e4ec"><strong>Sen. JD Vance of Ohio</strong></h2><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UodJB1tRNVE?si=_5KdQiBxKYnbSWRA" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><strong>Song: </strong>"America First" by Merle Haggard</p><p><strong>Message: </strong>Trump tapped Vance to be his heir apparent to his MAGA-takeover of the Republican Party. Few things epitomize the GOP's turn against the Bush era more than repurposing what Haggard intended to be an Iraq War protest song, a journalist who interviewed the country music legend before he died in 2015 once told Variety.</p><p>Vance once told Breitbart that he loves the opening line, which calls on the world to help the US instead of the other way around. It also helps that the title is Trump's foreign policy in a nutshell, even if the slogan "America First" has an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/02/06/513240634/america-first-from-charles-lindbergh-to-president-trump">long history.</a></p><p>"And really, it's saying, why don't we stop trying to bring freedom and democracy to every far-flung corner of the globe using American troops to do it?" Vance told the conservative outlet. "Why don't we bring freedom and democracy to our own country first and focus on rebuilding our own country before we focus on the problems elsewhere in the world?"</p><p>Vance, or someone working on his behalf in Republican politics, made an even gutsier song choice during the Republican National Convention. The Ohio Republican walked off the stage to an instrumental rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop," one of the most indelible campaign anthems thanks to President Bill Clinton's 1992 reelection campaign.</p><h2 id="e30b0e05-58af-421d-b592-6a40c59a61ae"><strong>Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz</strong></h2><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IxuThNgl3YA?si=KlYtx2s5UGgEVUpM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><strong>Song: </strong>"Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen</p><p><strong>Message: </strong>Democrats joke about their affinity for the Boss. Springsteen, who has liberal views, once mused that he was entirely fine if people misunderstanding his music made it more popular. Reagan famously praised "Born in the USA," missing the frustration and isolation at the heart of the song.</p><p>Most modern Democrats have embraced the Hurricane Katrina-inspired ballad "We Take Care of Our Own."</p><p>But Walz, who referenced his Springsteen fandom during his introductory rally, went with one of the classics. Springsteen told Rolling Stone in 2005 that the song speaks to being "exhilarated and frightened about what tomorrow brings," a perfect undertone for a campaign that has built its foundation on not going back to Trump's America.</p>

What Kamala Harris and Donald Trump's music choices say about the 2024 race     

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In October, a creator posted a video singing Gen Alpha slang over a popular hyperpop beat.</li><li>After initially mocking it, TikTokers started parodying the song and turning it into rock and pop anthems.</li></ul><p>On October 2, the anonymous creator @ovp.9 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ovp.9/video/7285477963217325342">posted a TikTok</a> featuring a Fortnite character walking in a field while a squeaky voice sang a surreal stream of internet slang: "Sticking out your gyat for the rizzler," they mewled. "You're so skibidi, you're so fanum tax. I just wanna be your sigma."</p><p>Two days later, on October 4, another creator @waxsdd <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@waxsdd/video/7286132201698217248"><u>posted a TikTok</u></a> featuring a Roblox character dancing to the audio while decked out in a furry animal costume and with a sparkling "GAMER" chain .</p><p>The videos went viral and the track spread like wildfire across the app.</p><p>The song, a parody of the band Suicidal-Idol's viral hyperpop song "Ecstasy," features a best-hits <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/fanum-tax-gen-alpha-gen-z-millennials-confusing-slang-2023-10">gumbo of internet slang</a> popularized by Gen Alpha.</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@waxsdd/video/7286132201698217248" data-video-id="7286132201698217248" data-embed-from="oembed" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@waxsdd" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@waxsdd?refer=embed">@waxsdd</a> <p>give views <a title="foryoupage" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryoupage?refer=embed">#foryoupage</a> <a title="foryou" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryou?refer=embed">#foryou</a> <a title="fyp" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed">#fyp</a> <a title="dahood" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/dahood?refer=embed">#dahood</a> </p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - realElonMuskofficial" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7286132220124367649?refer=embed">♬ original sound - realElonMuskofficial</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>At first, people ridiculed it no end, asking how we've <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@waxsdd/video/7286132201698217248">"reached this point as a civilization"</a> and mocking kids for having a cringeworthy sense of humor. But soon, teens and twenty-somethings started crafting ingenious parodies, weaving the maddening lingo into rock and pop songs like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@yonkerrz/video/7289789778348854559?_r=1&amp;_t=8hpTEiRcgAA"><u>Mitski's "Washing Machine Heart."</u></a> Most people eventually embraced the absurdity. </p><p>As of December, the audio has been used in over <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/why-r-so-many-hot-people-using-this-7277110094720928518?lang=en"><u>1.1 million TikToks</u></a>, and creators have amassed tens of millions of views with parodies of the original song. </p><p>I would like to proclaim that it is the best meme of the year. For those whose brains aren't rotten by the internet, here is a guide to helpful definitions and some context to how it captivated the internet in 2023.</p><h2><strong>From ridicule to catchy remixes</strong></h2><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@yonkerrz/video/7289789778348854559" data-video-id="7289789778348854559" data-embed-from="oembed" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@yonkerrz" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@yonkerrz?refer=embed">@yonkerrz</a> <p>this one is for u lark ️️️.  <a title="cover" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/cover?refer=embed">#cover</a><a title="electricbass" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/electricbass?refer=embed">#electricbass</a><a title="mitski" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/mitski?refer=embed">#mitski</a><a title="washingmachineheart" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/washingmachineheart?refer=embed">#washingmachineheart</a><a title="singing" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/singing?refer=embed">#singing</a><a title="skibidi" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/skibidi?refer=embed">#skibidi</a><a title="gyatt" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/gyatt?refer=embed">#gyatt</a><a title="rizz" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/rizz?refer=embed">#rizz</a><a title="fypシ" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp%E3%82%B7?refer=embed">#fypシ</a><a title="foryoupage" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryoupage?refer=embed">#foryoupage</a><a title="xybca" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/xybca?refer=embed">#xybca</a><a title="sigma" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/sigma?refer=embed">#sigma</a> </p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ Washing machine gyatt - ☆ｌｉｌｌｙ☆" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Washing-machine-gyatt-7289792616013613855?refer=embed">♬ Washing machine gyatt - ☆ｌｉｌｌｙ☆</a> </section> </blockquote> <p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/gen-alpha-slang-gyat-meaning-explained-millennial-2023-11#:~:text=They%20explained%20it%20as%20an,would%20yell%20GYAT%20at%20somebody.%22">"Gyat"</a> is often used to refer to someone's butt. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/internet-slang-tiktok-word-rizz-rizzler-rizzgod-zoomers-rizzardofoz-twitter-2023-1">"Rizzler"</a> is a riff on "rizz," which is shorthand for "charisma," or having swagger or an ability to charm a potential romantic interest. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/skibidi-toilet-gen-z-alpha-memes-internet-culture-outdated-old-2023-7">"Skibidi"</a> is a reference to "skibidi toilet," a surrealist meme about a man in a toilet. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/fanum-tax-gen-alpha-gen-z-millennials-confusing-slang-2023-10">"Fanum tax"</a> was coined by the streamer Fanum after he kept "taxing" his friends by eating their food. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/wolf-alpha-emo-sigma-loner-generational-mascot-manosphere-marketing-2023-10">"Sigma"</a> has an amorphous definition, but is often used to describe someone whose personality isn't alpha or beta and behaves like a lone wolf.</p><p>Immediately after the squeaky audio was posted on October 4, TikTok filled up with mocking responses. One man made a popular video showing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@willyandgaming/video/7287302541761613102"><u>him looking horrified</u></a> as he listened to the song with text saying this is what it sounds like when a kid goes on Roblox voice chat. Another user made a troubling <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@soldier_christ/video/7286622375171378463"><u>self-harm joke</u></a> about it.</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@somb.r/video/7288866133862567199" data-video-id="7288866133862567199" data-embed-from="oembed" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@somb.r" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@somb.r?refer=embed">@somb.r</a> <p>just listen to my new ep pls </p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - sombr" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7288866137708743454?refer=embed">♬ original sound - sombr</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>People started uploading the parodies about a week after the original audio dropped. One of the biggest remixes early on was a piano rendition that amassed over 16 million views. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@somb.r/video/7288866133862567199?_r=1&amp;_t=8iLWiILVfMQ"><u>In the clip</u></a>, the man played bittersweet notes while mournfully singing the word "sigma<em>"</em> like he was about to lose a loved one.</p><p>Another <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@felixbosquesh/video/7289206812639825194"><u>popular clip</u></a> with over 5.3 million views remixed Radiohead's "Creep."</p><p>"When you were in Ohio, couldn't look you in the gyat," they sang in tune with the melody. "You're just like Adin Ross, your mew makes me edge." (Adin Ross is a famous streamer and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/looksmaxxing-softmaxxing-mewing-self-improvement-experiment-toxic-dangerous-2023-11">"mewing"</a> is a facial exercise that can purportedly sharpen a person's jawline.)</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@felixbosquesh/video/7289206812639825194" data-video-id="7289206812639825194" data-embed-from="oembed" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@felixbosquesh" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@felixbosquesh?refer=embed">@felixbosquesh</a> <p>this is the worst thing I've ever done. inspo from @Oscar Espejel <a title="radiohead" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/radiohead?refer=embed">#radiohead</a> <a title="creep" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/creep?refer=embed">#creep</a> <a title="guitarcover" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/guitarcover?refer=embed">#guitarcover</a> <a title="singingcover" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/singingcover?refer=embed">#singingcover</a> <a title="gyatt" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/gyatt?refer=embed">#gyatt</a> <a title="skibidi" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/skibidi?refer=embed">#skibidi</a> <a title="rizz" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/rizz?refer=embed">#rizz</a> <a title="parody" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/parody?refer=embed">#parody</a> <a title="kaicenat" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/kaicenat?refer=embed">#kaicenat</a> <a title="fyp" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed">#fyp</a> <a title="fypシ" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp%E3%82%B7?refer=embed">#fypシ</a> </p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ creep gyatt version - Felix Bosques Harima" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/creep-gyatt-version-7289206865244719918?refer=embed">♬ creep gyatt version - Felix Bosques Harima</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>"I just wanna be your sigma" parodies continued to go viral until late last month, with users riffing on everything from the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@waiwaiva/video/7289902436284714245?_r=1&amp;_t=8iLWl9z0nb1"><u>"Tangled" movie soundtrack</u></a> to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@creativecrisis/video/7294061817968758062?_t=8iLXzhqUQjj&amp;_r=1"><u>The Killers' "Mr. Brightside"</u></a> and a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@hepatitusba4/video/7291749973866188038?_r=1&amp;_t=8iLY0FhJrjy"><u>song from the rapper Yeat</u></a>. Creators integrated every possible related slang. There are even references to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/kai-cenat-twitch-star-ishowspeed-comedy-streamer-award-ice-spice-2023-7">Kai Cenat</a> (the famous streamer), Baby Gronk (a young football player who became a meme), <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/mcdonalds-grimace-shake-tiktok-trend-genz-passed-out-random-spots-2023-6">Grimace shakes</a> (the viral McDonald's drink), and countless others.</p><p>Perhaps the most thrilling remix was by the TikTok filmmaker Michael Lam, who <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@majlam_/video/7289179194708233478"><u>sang the lyrics</u></a> over the dreamy music from Mac DeMarco's "Chamber of Reflection."</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@majlam_/video/7289179194708233478" data-video-id="7289179194708233478" data-embed-from="oembed" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@majlam_" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@majlam_?refer=embed">@majlam_</a> <p>Chamber of Gyatt - @Your Anxiety Buddy <a title="gyatt" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/gyatt?refer=embed">#gyatt</a> </p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - Michael Lam | Filmmaker " href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7289179215073250054?refer=embed">♬ original sound - Michael Lam | Filmmaker </a> </section> </blockquote> <p>"This one hit a little too hard," one user wrote. "I'm crying so hard this is the most beautiful thing i've ever heard," another person said.</p><h2><strong>The ingenious parodies bridge generational divides</strong></h2><p>In a year where Gen Z and millennials <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/skibidi-toilet-gen-z-alpha-memes-internet-culture-outdated-old-2023-7">panicked about falling</a> out of touch with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/fanum-tax-gen-alpha-gen-z-millennials-confusing-slang-2023-10">Gen Alpha memes</a>, it was heartening to see a digital fad that crossed generational lines. Instead of dogpiling the youth for popularizing bizarre terms, the meme became a rare monocultural moment.</p><p>Gen Z is slowly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/skibidi-toilet-gen-alpha-gen-z-brainrot-humor-memes-nostalgia-2023-12">coming around to the realization</a> that what they enjoyed as kids was just as strange and brain-frying as Gen Alpha humor, which could explain why they eventually joined in on the fad.</p><p>The trend should also be commended for leaning so far into silliness that it came out the other end as ironically genius. The often "dumb" parodies people have made become infectious, and the way people have rewired popular song lyrics is nothing short of creative.</p><p>While congealing all these niche slang terms into one piece of content can feel like digital chaos, it's also the point: to laugh at the inanity of online life.</p><p>The comments on the videos are full of people remarking in awe. Some reacted as if they just had a transcendental experience — although it's difficult to know if people are being genuine or ironic, which is also part of the fun.</p><p>"This made me sob uncontrollably," one commenter wrote about<a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@dead.oak/video/7289541799217990918?_r=1&amp;_t=8iLZjUky7T9"><u> a parody</u></a> of Alex G's poignant indie folk song "Pretend." </p><p>"A new emotion was felt today. Thank you."</p>

Going on record: 'I just wanna be your sigma' parodies are the best meme of 2023 because they showcase the uncanny absurdity of internet life 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A DJ on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@poshdjs/video/7057640961215843631?is_from_webapp=1&amp;sender_device=pc&amp;web_id7055687598047856134">TikTok</a> shared songs couples most commonly didn't want played at their wedding in 2021.</li><li>The data in the video is based on the requests collected from 700 couples in New Jersey. </li></ul><p>A <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@poshdjs/video/7057640961215843631?is_from_webapp=1&amp;sender_device=pc&amp;web_id7055687598047856134">DJ</a> shared some of the songs couples most commonly don't want played at <a href="https://www.insider.com/tough-things-every-couple-should-tell-wedding-guests-2022-1">t</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/tough-things-every-couple-should-tell-wedding-guests-2022-1">heir weddings</a> — and some of the requests are a little surprising.</p><p>In a <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@poshdjs/video/7057640961215843631?is_from_webapp=1&amp;sender_device=pc&amp;web_id7055687598047856134">TikTok</a>, <a href="https://www.poshdjs.com/">POSH DJs</a>, a wedding DJ group, scrolled through the top 75 "do-not-play" requests from 2021.</p><p>The video, which has nearly 300,000 views, contains data that POSH DJs owner Michael Bedkowski said was collected from the online form their clients fill out prior to <a href="https://www.insider.com/wedding-planner-shares-trends-that-will-be-popular-and-unpopular-2022">each wedding</a>.</p><p>He told Insider the list from the video was made using data collected from over 700 <keyword id="11895717" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="weddings" source="Orion">weddings</keyword> the group performed in New Jersey last year. </p><h2>The do-not-play list includes line dances, Bruno Mars, and the entire country-music genre</h2><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@poshdjs/video/7057640961215843631" data-video-id="7057640961215843631" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@poshdjs" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@poshdjs">@poshdjs</a> Top do not play list songs for 2021 <a title="weddingnj" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/weddingnj">#weddingnj</a> <a title="weddingdjnj" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/weddingdjnj">#weddingdjnj</a> <a title="njwedding" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/njwedding">#njwedding</a> <a title="weddingmusic" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/weddingmusic">#weddingmusic</a> <a title="weddingtips" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/weddingtips">#weddingtips</a> <a title="weddingtiktok" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/weddingtiktok">#weddingtiktok</a> <a title="weddingtiktok2021" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/weddingtiktok2021">#weddingtiktok2021</a> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - POSH DJs" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7057640929267796782">♬ original sound - POSH DJs</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>The <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-worst-songs-from-popular-artists-2020-1">song</a> couples most commonly wanted the DJ to avoid was DJ Casper's "Cha Cha Slide," followed by Cupid's "Cupid Shuffle," and Rednex's "Cotton Eye Joe." According to the video's creator, this is expected. </p><p>"We tell our clients we try to stay away from line dances at weddings, it's just not our style," he said in the video. </p><p>Other notable "do-not-plays" include Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," <keyword id="13053801" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-killers" source="Orion">The Killers</keyword>' "Mr. Brightside," and ABBA's "Dancing Queen."</p><p>Although most of the listings are songs, the <a href="https://www.insider.com/worst-country-music-songs-2018-10">country as a whole genre</a> managed to make the list.</p><p>"We do operate out of New Jersey, so that's not really a big surprise," the creator said.  </p><p>However, Bedkowski told Insider, there were still some surprise "do-not-play" requests. </p><p>Bedkowski told Insider his team was "shocked by how many times Bruno Mars shows up on do-not-play lists." He also mentioned that this was the first year that Earth, Wind, &amp; Fire's "September" made the list. </p><h2>The group also shared a video of the most-requested songs, which include some tracks from the do-not-play list</h2><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@poshdjs/video/7057908927375330607" data-video-id="7057908927375330607" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@poshdjs" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@poshdjs">@poshdjs</a> Reply to @bret__ashton  Most requested songs at weddings in the past year.  <a title="weddingdj" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/weddingdj">#weddingdj</a> <a title="njwedding" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/njwedding">#njwedding</a> <a title="weddingnj" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/weddingnj">#weddingnj</a> <a title="weddingmusic" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/weddingmusic">#weddingmusic</a> <a title="weddingplaylist" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/weddingplaylist">#weddingplaylist</a> <a title="weddingtiktok" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/weddingtiktok">#weddingtiktok</a> <a title="weddingtips" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/weddingtips">#weddingtips</a> <a title="weddingdjnj" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/weddingdjnj">#weddingdjnj</a> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - POSH DJs" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7057908890054167342">♬ original sound - POSH DJs</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>The DJ group also <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@poshdjs/video/7057908927375330607?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1">uploaded a follow-up video</a> of some of the most-requested songs, with <keyword id="12259138" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="whitney-houston" source="Orion">Whitney Houston</keyword>'s "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" at the no.1 spot. </p><p>Other <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-songs-90s-2019-4">popular requests</a> include Walk the Moon's "Shut Up and Dance," Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'," and "Sweet Caroline" — which was toward the top of the do-not-play list.</p><p>"There were many songs also found on the do-not-play list, indicating you either love it or hate it," Bedkowski said. </p>

A DJ shared the top songs couples don't want played at weddings, from 'Sweet Caroline' to the country genre

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="13524488" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="blu-detiger" source="Orion">Blu DeTiger</keyword> recently spoke to Insider about her new single "Hot Crush Lover," out Friday.</li><li>The singer and musician rose to fame on TikTok in 2020, playing funky bass lines over popular songs.</li></ul><p>Yes, Blu DeTiger is her real name.</p><p>"I've gotten that question probably six times this week," the singer and bassist told Insider last month. "No one ever believes it. It's so funny."</p><p>For the record: She was named by her drummer brother Rex, and her parents thought "Blue" would be "cooler" without the "e." Her surname is Dutch, and even though her father hails directly from Holland, the whole family pronounces it phonetically.</p><p>"I'm going to name my kids something wild," she added. "I just want them to be inspired."</p><p>Indeed, when you're born with a name like Blu DeTiger, becoming a famous artist feels like a lot like fate.</p><p>This is especially true when combined with a premature desire to be outstanding. Born and bred in New York City, DeTiger started learning how to play bass because, at just 7 years old, she thought "girls that sing and play acoustic guitar" were too "mainstream."</p><p>"Which is rude of me," she clarified with a self-aware chuckle. "But it's a weird mental thing. You have the urge to be different and stand out and be unique ... and then bass just became my thing."</p><h2>DeTiger came to prominence on TikTok, pairing popular songs with slap-happy bass lines</h2><p>DeTiger initially built a niche following as a DJ on the NYC club circuit, <a href="https://www.guitarworld.com/features/blu-detiger-how-did-we-get-here">armed with her signature electric-blue instrument</a> and an admittedly "shitty" fake ID. At 17 years old, she was commanding dance floors with a mix of pop hooks and homemade '70s grooves.</p><p>After two years of study, she left New York University's prestigious <a href="https://tisch.nyu.edu/clive-davis-institute">Clive Davis Institute</a> to focus on her career and quickly became a touring bassist for rising artists like Caroline Polachek and Fletcher.  </p><div type="image" title="Blu DeTiger - Blondes BTS" height="1261" width="2522" msid="90596518" hostid="261"></div><p>Then came the phrase we know all too well, the one that has sabotaged scores of aspiring artists and would-be origin stories: "The pandemic hit."</p><p>But for many of DeTiger's fans, this is where her story truly began. Stuck at home for the first time in years, the twentysomething musician began sharing videos on TikTok, plucking funky melodies atop songs like <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bludetiger/video/6807542078021717254">"Savage" by Megan Thee Stallion,</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bludetiger/video/6824602314704276741">"Hit Me Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears</a>, and <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bludetiger/video/6813471682074889478">"Pony" by Ginuwine</a>.</p><p>Call it fate, or great timing, or the <a href="https://www.insider.com/school-of-rock-stars-where-are-they-now-photos">Katie Brown from "School of Rock" effect,</a> but DeTiger's videos took off with ease. She became a bona fide viral sensation.</p><p>"I don't want to say I was in the first crew, but like, this was more in the early stages of TikTok. So I'm really grateful for coming up at the beginning because it's changed a lot," DeTiger reflected. "Now that it's way more saturated, I feel like it maybe means something different."</p><p>In addition to gaining millions of views and admirers, DeTiger said TikTok bestowed her with even more nerve — a sense of trust in the road less traveled.</p><p>"Seeing people react to my bass videos just gave me more confidence to keep doing that, to keep embracing that side, and figure out a way to bring the bass to the forefront of my <keyword id="11898471" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="music" source="Orion">music</keyword>," she added.</p><p>Shortly after DeTiger began flooding the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-tiktok-algorithm-for-you-page-works-watch-time-report-2021-7">"For You" page</a> of every music lover, her debut single "Figure It Out" also went viral on the app. It's been embraced by all manners of TikTok royalty, from <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@dixiedamelio/video/6838692173421071622">Dixie D'Amelio</a> to <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@kimandnorth/video/7034624813733842223">North West</a>.</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R-M5qnw4Df8" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>DeTiger's subsequent EP "How Did We Get Here?" — which arrived last March — sounds like a collection of vintage short films about a warm-hearted wild child, too young and too cool for the Studio 54 scene. It's the soundtrack you want for strutting through the Lower East Side.</p><p>Presented with this assessment, DeTiger agreed with a grin: "It is very 'main character' music."</p><p>All seven songs are full of nostalgic details, sparkling synths, and, most important of all, impossibly expressive bass lines. If DeTiger is the main character, her bass is the fan-favorite sidekick. She tells you what to see and what to think, but her instrument tells you how to feel.</p><p>While DeTiger is a notably sharp, specific lyricist — she <a href="https://youtu.be/FBs3bf0He_A">references</a> a famous "Sex and the City" courtship, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-ZBqiFrtDw">pokes fun at millennials</a> who know all the words to "Mr. Brightside," and <a href="https://youtu.be/e4PLaZEQyOY">croons</a> about Canal Street — DeTiger's music is primarily a study in vibes.</p><p>"Sometimes a song's purpose is more for the overall listening experience, if it makes someone dance or want to groove, or put this on in the car with the top down, driving through sunset, or put this on at a house party," she explained. "I'll think of music like that: Where would the song be played?"</p><h2>When DeTiger hears her new single, 'Hot Crush Lover,' she thinks of dancing at a festival and cruising in a convertible</h2><div type="image" title="blu detiger press photo hot crush lover" height="4478" width="3000" msid="90596519" hostid="261"></div><p>After the <a href="https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/blu-detiger-how-did-we-get-here-ep-review-radar-2893965">enthusiastic response</a> to her EP, DeTiger <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/deals-blu-detiger-capitol-tagmix-ingrooves-marv-wmg-9657910/">signed with Capitol Records last November</a> and dropped her first major-label single, <a href="https://youtu.be/oIgl7nok_kY">"Blondes,"</a> shortly after.</p><p>By the time we connected over Zoom in February, she had relocated to Los Angeles to record her official debut album, clocking studio hours every day with an ever-rotating roster of collaborators, including electro-pop duo Chromeo and superproducer <keyword id="11918185" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jack-antonoff" source="Orion">Jack Antonoff</keyword>.</p><p>"It's a super, super funny story, and I've never actually told this," she said of her introduction to the renowned Bleachers frontman.</p><p>Back in 2020, DeTiger was recovering from laser eye surgery ("Honestly the best decision. Shout-out laser eye surgery") and following strict instructions to avoid screen time. Her brother Rex was helping treat her self-described phone addiction by reading her incoming messages, making sure she didn't miss anything important ("Good bro, right?"). </p><p>Naturally, he was shocked by the sheer volume of unread messages on her Instagram. </p><p>"When you're verified or whatever, you always have a lot of message requests. It's not news," she said with an eye roll. "I was like, 'It's fine, you don't have to check those.' But he was like, 'No, it could be important.' And he checks it and Jack Antonoff had DMed me, and I wouldn't have even known."</p><p>Antonoff counted himself a fan of DeTiger's and asked her to participate in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adxEyZgS8ho">the Ally Coalition's 2020 talent show</a> to benefit LGBTQ youth. She joined <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/lana-del-rey-hayley-williams-the-chicks-jack-antonoff-ally-coalition-concert-benefit-1104506/">a stacked lineup</a> that featured Lana Del Rey, Hayley Williams, and a surprise appearance from Taylor Swift.</p><p>Last year, Antonoff also tapped DeTiger to play bass on his band's single <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQE0TrJbPAk">"Stop Making This Hurt."</a> Yep, that was her <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRb_euXgWOM">jamming out with Bleachers on "Saturday Night Live."</a> </p><div type="image" title="bleachers saturday night live" height="1895" width="2528" msid="90596520" hostid="261"></div><p>"So sick, so iconic," she said of the experience. "That's always been a bucket list thing. So to be able to do it was really cool. Now I'm ready for one eventually, or hopefully, that I get to do myself, with my music."</p><p>Although she was thrilled to be back in her hometown for the gig, DeTiger said she was equally eager to return to LA.</p><p>The budding rock star admitted that California may have had an impact on her distinctly East Coast sound — but one she already knows will be embraced. On Friday, she released "Hot Crush Lover," a funk-rock banger she's already played for several amenable crowds.</p><p>"I did a whole tour at the end of 2021 and I would play it in my set, even though it's not out. And at every festival that I did, it would go <em>off,</em> the most of any song," she said, beaming.</p><p>DeTiger also said "Hot Crush Lover" conjures the image of coastal drives and wind in her hair, even though she doesn't have a license.</p><p>"Now when we're out in LA, my brother drives and he usually rents a convertible. We'll do top-down all the time and just drive," she said. "Everything sounds good with the top down."</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9gtosXjzt-o" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>In pop <keyword id="11899151" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="culture" source="Orion">culture</keyword>, driving with the top down is the universal language of escape, of thrill-seeking, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlWpupgrTCQ">of feeling "infinite"</a> in the midst of crushing suburban sameness.</p><p>DeTiger captures this feeling with ease, inviting some lucky dude to slide down her lips "like Gushers," just so she can feel something thick and sweet and real.</p><p>"I wanted a crush, a fling," she said of the lyrical inspiration. "I was like, I'm getting bored of what I'm doing right now. I'm getting over it. So let me find someone and then convince them to have this fun thing."</p><p>Easier said than done, perhaps, but DeTiger vibrates with the kind of city-kid ambition that makes it hard to doubt she'll accomplish her goals.</p><p>"It also makes me think about running," she added, explaining that one of her producers "worked out to the song three times in a row" and said it made him run faster.</p><p>"That's a great sign," she concluded. "It's all about getting stuff done."</p><p><em>Listen to "Hot Crush Lover" and more on Spotify with <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0yRnXWABbriPpn6sTCWO2A?si=6102092a0d0d4885">Insider's rising artist radio</a>.</em></p>

Blu DeTiger makes 'main character music.' With a name like that, who could blame her?

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c803d712628984e891d6d6a-2222/cairoegyptcityguidetravel 24 of 37.jpg" border="0" alt="Cairo_Egypt_City_Guide_Travel (24 of 37)" data-mce-source="Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider" data-link="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs">Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</a></span></p><p class="caption">I've never regretted saying "yes" while traveling.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>After traveling to dozens of countries, I've found that the best experiences I've had haven't come from fancy meals or tourist attractions, but from saying yes to meeting new people.</li><li>On a recent trip to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/egypt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Egypt</a>, I contacted a distant acquaintance for tips and ended up being offered a place to stay in a beautiful <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/red-sea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Red Sea</a> resort town and attending a feast of homemade Egyptian food. </li><li>While being a good judge of character is essential to trusting strangers while traveling - particularly if you are a woman - I have found that I have been rewarded time and again by saying "yes" to opportunities while traveling. </li></ul><p>Sometimes, I look around while traveling, pause in awe for a moment, and wonder, "How did I get here?"</p><p>There was the time I belted "Mr. Brightside" at 5 a.m. to a packed karaoke bar hidden in a Tokyo alleyway that gave out free Jägermeister. There was the time I started a night <a href="https://langenacht.orf.at/en/">exploring Vienna's world class museums until past midnight</a> and ended it making friends with Austria's national hacky sack team. And there was the day I spent trading stories with a troupe of <a href="http://afropop.org/articles/feature-gnawa-music-of-morocco">Moroccan gnawa musicians</a> while eating homemade fish tagine near the beach.</p><p>When I think back to those experiences - which were far more memorable than anything else I did visiting those countries - I see one commonality: I said yes. Yes to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-use-couchsurfing-app-to-meet-locals-traveling-2018-1">a Couchsurfing meetup to see an obscure electrorock band</a> while alone on a business trip in Tokyo. Yes to not booking a hotel for my one-night layover in Vienna. And yes to taking a ride down the coast with a musician I had met hours before in a coffee shop.</p><p>Without fail, when I've said yes to some crazy proposition while traveling, I have found the universe has paid back the good karma.</p><p>In December, my partner Annie and I had an experience in Egypt that drove home for me how transformative saying "yes" can be.</p><p>Shortly before arriving in Cairo, I messaged an acquaintance on Facebook that I had met briefly seven years before. She is the only Egyptian I know, an activist lawyer I had met when I first moved to New York City. At the time, I was sleeping on my brother's couch post-graduation. She was staying there a few nights, too, while she found a sublet to live in during her summer internship. We had hung out one day - and that was it.</p><p>We hadn't spoke since but I knew she lived in Cairo so, a couple weeks before I arrived, I asked her for a few tips on the city. It turned out she had moved after President <span>Abdel Fattah </span>al-Sisi came to power to a resort town on the Red Sea a few hours from Cairo. She couldn't help us with Cairo, she said, but why not come to the Red Sea and stay with her a few days.</p><p>Why not?</p><p>I wasn't sure what to expect since we'd only spoken a couple of times, but we ended up hitting it off. She took Annie and me to a local pub for karaoke night, got her friend that ran a nearby co-working space to gift us visitors' passes, and even worked in a tennis lesson.</p><p>On our third night, we went out for drinks at a swanky cocktail lounge. I was tired, but she wanted us to meet two of her friends, so we took a cab to the couple's house. It turned out that her friends had developed several businesses since the Arab Spring Revolution and talked to us deep into the night about the state of Egypt.</p><p>Her friend turned out to be an incredible cook and had been toying with opening a catering business. Had we tried molokhia yet, she asked.</p><p>She then went on to whip up a hearty bowl of the rich, leafy green traditional Egyptian soup, and added rice, spiced chicken, and locally produced whiskey to boot. The hospitality was a bit shocking at first. But in truth, we had seen nothing yet.</p><p>As we ate the molokhia, she quizzed us on Egyptian delicacies we had yet to try. By the time we left, she had told us to come back around lunchtime the next day and she'd have cooked all of the dishes she'd mentioned.</p><p>When I woke up hungover the following morning, I had half-assumed she had been joking. One of those grand promises you make that seem brilliant at 3 a.m., but are soon forgotten. I was wrong.</p><p>I received a text with "the menu."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c803b69262898539229a602-1080/menu.jpg" border="0" alt="Menu" data-mce-source="Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider" /><p class="source"><span>Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">The menu for the feast.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>When we arrived in the late afternoon, we found that she had arranged an entire dinner party with her friends and family in the span of 12 hours. And just as she said, every dish she'd talked about was cooked.</p><p>From Alexandria-style chicken livers ....</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c647aff0d15f546aa1fe984-2223/sayyeswhentraveling 2 of 3.jpg" border="0" alt="SayYesWhenTraveling (2 of 3)" data-mce-source="Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider" /><p class="source"><span>Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">Alexandria-style chicken livers.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>... to Baladi salad, homemade potato chips, and roz bil sh'reya (white rice mixed with golden-brown noodles) ...</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c64795074c5872ac9390d9c-1667/sayyeswhentraveling 1 of 3.jpg" border="0" alt="SayYesWhenTraveling (1 of 3)" data-mce-source="Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider" data-link="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs">Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</a></span></p><p class="caption">Salads, chips, and mac &amp; cheese.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>.... and, who could forget, the entire roasted lamb.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c6479b32628985ac41e87e3-2222/sayyeswhentraveling 3 of 3.jpg" border="0" alt="SayYesWhenTraveling (3 of 3)" data-mce-source="Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider" /><p class="source"><span>Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">A roasted lamb.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Now, I should note: There's a risk to saying yes. Sometimes, you end up in a village in China and have to convince a taxi driver who doesn't speak English to drive several hours away to a city whose name you can't pronounce. Sometimes you end up crammed in a Egyptian minibus with 14 other people for six hours and no bathroom breaks. Occasionally, you might find yourself on a 12-hour hike that your guide told you was six hours long.</p><p>If you are a woman, the sad reality is that you have to be doubly or triply careful. Often, the risk isn't simply a boring or annoying encounter, but a dangerous one. Having a sharp BS-detector and being an expert judge of character is essential, as is having a backup plan.</p><p>But as we sat around eating, watching Egyptian football, and talking about the politics of the Middle East, I had that feeling: None of this would have happened if I hadn't taken the leap to contact a person I had met once seven years ago.</p><p>I said yes.</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li><strong>More tips from Business Insider's international correspondent:</strong></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/diehard-iphone-ios-user-switches-to-android-oneplus-6t-2018-11" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">I switched to Android after more than a decade with the iPhone, and I'm not going back. Here's why.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/travel-tip-find-healthy-good-cheap-food-2018-11" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">I use the same trick in any city I visit to make sure I find amazing food</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-use-couchsurfing-app-to-meet-locals-traveling-2018-1" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Couchsurfing has a hidden feature that helped me have the wildest night in Tokyo partying until sunrise</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/multicity-flights-expedia-skyscanner-mistake-2018-10" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">I found out the hard way that one of the best strategies to save money on flights can end up costing you big time</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-travel-advice-skip-attractions-that-dont-interest-you-2018-10" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">The single best piece of advice I can give you for any trip you take</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/travel-advice-biggest-travel-mistakes-2018-10" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">I've traveled to more than 30 countries, and here are the dumbest mistakes I made on the road that I'll never make again</a></li></ul>     <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-the-285-million-nyc-apartment-2019-2">Take a look inside a $28.5 million NYC apartment on Billionaires' Row</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/CznBP7Ya-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

You Searched For "mr brightside" and got 6 results

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An epic feast I had at a stranger's home in a remote town in Egypt is a perfect example of why I always say 'yes' when I travel

Harrison Jacobs